Pope Francis in America

Chris Patten in PROJECT SYNDICATE, Aug.27/15. Chris Patten, the last British Governor of Hong Kong and a former EU commissioner for external affairs, is Chancellor of the University of Oxford.This is forwarded by Gitanjali Sudhir in NY.

LONDON – It’s a dollar to a cent that Pope Francis’s visit to the United States in September will be one of the biggest news stories of2015. Take the sheer number of American Catholics, add the diplomatic skill of the Vatican’s purple-and-scarlet-clad officials, then throw in Francis’s powerful statements on a variety of subjects – often antagonizing America’s right wing in the process – and you have all the ingredients of an epic event.

Start with the diplomats. Vatican officials catch their share of criticism, not least from Francis himself. But their ranks include intelligent top-rank officials – led by the Pope’s chief adviser,Cardinal Pietro Parolin – who are experienced at working quietly for peace and social justice in some of the most perilous parts of the world.

When such smart diplomacy is put at the service of an appealing and influential Pope, not to mention the 1.2 billion Catholics worldwide, the result is an engine for doing good that is more formidable than anything the world has seen for some time.

Anecdotes about Francis – from his propensity for making personal phone calls to those in distress to his decision to wash the feet of criminals, Muslims, and women (to the horror of some churchmen) – ring true. Such acts of graceful nobility have contributed to his reputation as a kind, approachable, charismatic, and decisive leader – one who has proved to be highly appealing worldwide.

My personal experience with Francis suggests that his reputation is well deserved. Though, at age 71, I may be a little old to indulge in hero worship, I cannot remember a public figure to whom I have warmed more. He embodies the message, delivered in the Gospel of St. Matthew’s account of the Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” (Matthew 5:6).

The moral authority that Francis exudes makes his interventions in controversial contemporary issues – such as his condemnation of the Armenian genocide, Islamic jihadi violence, Mafia criminality and corruption in Italy, and the deaths of African and Middle Eastern migrants in the Mediterranean – extremely powerful. Before and during his visit to the US, his views on three issues – none of which is without controversy in the US – will have a particularly strong impact.

First, Francis is helping to end the decades-long standoff between the US and Cuba. Not only did Cardinal Parolin, formerly the Vatican’s man in Venezuela, play a key role in the restoration of diplomatic relations between the US and Cuba; Francis plans to visit the island on his way to the US.

But the thaw in US-Cuba relations has not been welcomed by all US politicians. Indeed, despite President Barack Obama’s apparent desire to end the pointless diplomatic freeze, some right-wing US politicians would, it seems, prefer a pariah to a potential partner off Florida’s coast.

The second key issue that Francis will address relates to the Israel-Palestine conflict – a fraught subject for the US, Israel’s
most important ally. The Vatican has announced its intention to sign a treaty that includes recognition of a Palestinian state. Given
Francis’s long record of friendship with Jews, and his understanding
of their religion and culture, no Israeli politician can possibly
condemn him as an anti-Semite.

Nonetheless, in parts of the American political establishment, Israel – specifically, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his Likud Party – can do no wrong. A US senator once told me, “We are all members of Likud here.”

The third issue – the most challenging for some American politicians, especially the most conservative among them – is Francis’s recent encyclical on environmental stewardship, climate change, and sustainable and fair economic development. He clearly intends to put the full moral weight of his papacy behind the efforts to conclude a deal on climate change at the United Nations conference in Paris in December. Obama’s recent statement on carbon-dioxide emissions is clearly very much in line with the encyclical.

Francis will undoubtedly discuss the subject in his address to Congress, 30% of whose members – including House Speaker John Boehner, a Republican – are Catholic. Given that several of the leading candidates for the Republican presidential nomination – including Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, and Bobby Jindal – also are Catholic, Francis’s strong stance on climate change may create a serious political dilemma for some.

Already, some of the most conservative elements in American politics – backed by those, like the billionaire brothers David and Charles Koch, who benefit from inaction on climate change – are attempting to denounce Francis’s views. Whereas the Catholic Church once tried to suppress science and reason, most notably in its condemnation of Galileo, it is now defending them, while conservative US politicians deny the facts. The pope is on the side of reason, as well as that of the angels.

In 1891, Pope Leo XIII produced Rerum Novarum, an encyclical on workers’ rights that fundamentally challenged the contemporary political discourse and approach to policymaking. Francis hopes to have a similar impact today, helping to catalyze action on climate change. In this manner, he hopes, the world can achieve sustainable growth that improves the lot of the poor, while safeguarding the planet on which we depend.

The 78-year-old Francis often talks of the limited time he has ahead of him. Most Catholics pray that this is not the case. Given the positive impact that such a charismatic and forward-thinking pope can have on the world, we should all share that hope.

This website is a news forum for all Christian citizens or clergy, from around the world. This website also publishes varied personal views of Catholic Church Citizens and distinct reports concerning the Catholic Church or what seems to have relevance to it. Articles, reports and news published in this website carry the views and perceptions of the authors or sources concerned, who only are responsible for their content. Publishing of an article or comment here does not involve acceptance or agreement with the contents on the part of the above mentioned parties. No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to KCRM, its website almayasabdam.com or to its administrators for any or all of the articles or comments placed here.

More

Join Church Citizens’ Forum

Name

Email *

What Have You Done?

"I was hungry, and you formed a humanities club, and discussed my hunger.
I was imprisoned, and you crept of quietly to your chapel in the cellar and prayed for my release.
I was naked, and in your mind you debated the morality of my appearance.
I was sick, and you knelt and thanked God for your good health.
I was homeless, and you preached to me the spiritual shelter of the love of God.
I was lonely, and you left me alone to pray for me.
You seem so holy, so close to God:
But I am still very hungry, and lonely and cold.
So where have your prayers gone? What have they done?
What does it profit a man to go through his book of prayers, when the rest of the world is crying for help.
-Bob Rawland

Comments are subject to moderation, but only once per commentator. The 1st comment box directly links the article to your account in the Social Media while LEAVE A REPLY comment box is intended for discussions/debates. Bring the cursor to the date on the calendar below and see the posts on that date in the pop-up window that appears there. Thank You.